Stepping into Beachaven in St Paul’s Bay is like entering a 1990s time capsule. The seaside club, one of the last of its kind, still has its original décor – and there are no plans to update it.

Most other popular nightclubs of the era like Natasha’s, Tattingers and Styx have since closed while venues like Liquid, known as Vibes in the 1990s, have rebranded and updated.

But Beachaven still has its disco balls, neon lights, purple furniture and the club’s crown jewel: its glass dance floor.

“People love it,” said 73-year-old owner Godwin Cutajar. Apart from a few upgraded lights and a revamped sound system, the club has remained largely untouched since it was last decorated more than 30 years ago.

Cutajar first came across the venue as a customer in the 1970s, when it was known as Fondatore, and took over management in 1977 despite having no experience in catering or bar operations.

Initially an outdoor lido with a beach club, the space underwent various transformations before Cutajar settled on its now iconic 1990s aesthetic.

“So many people tell us, ‘Don’t change it. Leave it like that,’” shared his wife, 65-year-old Jeanette. The couple met in the club’s early years when disco classics from Donna Summer and Saturday Night Fever filled the air.

“It’s the Beachaven love story,” Jeanette laughed, adding that she first visited the club due to her parents’ summer home nearby.

“No one thought it would work, and here we are, married for 37 years,” she added. The couple, from different sides of the island – Godwin from Żebbuġ and Jeanette from Sliema – recall the sacrifices they made for Beachaven.

Jeanette describes nights when Godwin would sleep at the club on crates of beer with only a mattress.

Going down memory lane: Godwin and Jeanette Cutajar.

'Keeping Beachaven alive has been no easy feat'

“Beachaven is the love of his life, even before me,” she laughed.

Keeping Beachaven alive for nearly five decades has been no easy feat, and the couple has faced many challenges, including frequent encounters with the police.

“The police used to come en masse,” Jeanette recalled.

They would often shut down Beachaven’s parties due to complaints about noise levels and parking issues affecting the coastline. However, after investing in heavy soundproofing and learning to carry all necessary licences, the police problems faded away.

There was also some controversy among more conservative members of society as the clubbing season would open on Good Friday when everywhere else would be shut.

“People would say, ‘what a shame’,” Jeanette said.

The most recent threat to Beachaven came in 2019, when a powerful storm shattered two windows and flooded the seaside club.

“The dance floor was full of fish from the fish farms,” Jeanette said. “We thought the club was finished.” But with help from friends, they managed to restore the space and continue operations.

Owners Godwin and Jeanette Cutajar back in the day. Photo: Cutajar family Right: Simon, their son, has no plans to change its 1990s decor.

'Nowhere else with this vibe left'

In 2015, after a stroke, Godwin’s eldest son Karl returned from abroad to help run the family business. The club’s management has now been passed to the younger son, Simon, who has been working there since he was 16.

“My first memory of the club was sneaking in as a kid until my parents found me and kicked me out,” recalls Simon, now 30.

Inspired to follow in his father’s footsteps, Simon has no plans to modernise the club’s retro charm.

“Some people tell me to update it, but there are already so many modern places. I don’t think there’s anywhere else with this vibe left,” he noted.

The Cutajar family believes Beachaven’s true magic lies in its ability to welcome generation after generation – four and counting. Under Simon’s management, Beachaven continues to attract an older crowd seeking nostalgia and a younger generation drawn to its now-retro vibe.

Looking back on his years at Beachaven, Godwin is proud of the club’s legacy and pleased to pass it on to his son.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’ve done everything there is to do, and now it’s Simon’s turn,” he said.